Ed ward j



(No Model.)

B. J. COLBY.

00m CONTROLLED OPERA GLASS CASE.

No. 405,659. Patented June 18, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EINVABD J. COLBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FERDINAND SIEGEL, JOSEPH S. BAER, AND ABRAHAM M. ROTHSCI-IILD, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

COIN-CONTROLLED OPERA-GLASS CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,659, dated June 18, 1889. Application filed January 31, 1889. Serial No. 298,170- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. COLBY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of 5 Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Coin-Controlled Opera Glass Cases, of which the following is a. specification. 1

My invention relates to coin-controlled devices for securing pera-glasses to the chairs in connection wit} which they are to be used, and has for its object to provide a convenient means for this purpose.

It is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wl1erein Figure 1 is a side view of two chairs having my device in position. Fig. 2 is a front view of the device looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig; 1. Fig. 3is a similar view with the doors open. Fig. 4 is a vertical crosssection looking in the opposite direction from that shown in Fig. 1, showing the coin in position and indicating in dotted lines the parts in operation to open the doors. Fig. 5 is a detail of the padlock, whereby the key and opera'glass are secured together. Fig. 6 is a detail of the key.

Like parts are indicated by the same letter in all the figures.

o Briefly stated my device consists of a box secured to the back of an opera-chair and containing a lower compartment for money and an upper compartment to contain an operaglass. To the opera-glass is secured a spring- 5 padlock, and the parts are so arranged that by inserting the key and then a coin and turning the key, the compartment containing the opera-glass will be opened, while thekey will be locked to the opera-glass. A chain from 40 this key extends to a chain-reel on the seat next back of the one to which the case is secured. Thus the opera-glass is in condition to be used by a person who will introduce the proper coin. Vhile in use it is locked to the seat, so that itcannot be carried away by thoughtless or malicious persons. After use the opera-glasses are left in the seat and are then freed from the key and restored to the case and the money removed by an attendant.

A A are the seat-frames or opera-chairs; B B, the seats; C C, the arms; D D, the backs;

'jecting edge lIi.

E E, the opera-glass cases having the front doors F and F, and the lower doors F and money drawer F This lower drawer is locked in the usual manner by the insertion of a key at Ffl and has a knob I have shown the case and lock for opening the doors of the opera-glass compartment G in their simplest forms, though it will be easily understood that these forms could be greatly varied. V

The key is a flat key II having the handle H with the eye H and hole H and the pro- The lock contains the swivelcd portion J having the slot J, which registers with the slot J 2 in the door F. As indicated in Fig. 3, this part J is swiveled at the edge of the door F, so as, when turned, to bring the slot J into a horizontal position. The same opens directly out and away from the door F, as indicated in Fig. 3. These doors may be provided with spring-hinges K K, if desired, to cause them, when unlocked, to be thrown open.

L are opera-glasses.

M is the upper part of a coin chute, which registers with the coiirreceiving chute M, and discharges against the lug M on the door F.

M is the lower part of the coin-chute, which opens into the coin-drawer F.

To the coin-chute M is pivoted the rod N having the friction-roller N and the slot N to receive the pin N on the reciprocating bolt N This bolt moves in the keepers O O, and is retracted by the helical spring 0, so as to engage the catch 0 and lock the doors together.

P is the coin, which, having been inserted through the chute h" M, rests against the lug M and the friction-roller N.

' R is a spring-padlock having the key-hole R and the swivel-connection R with the central rod R of the opera-glasses L.

S is the link of the padlock, pivoted at S 5 and carrying the elbow-lever S pivoted at the same point, and provided with the spring S connected to the elbow-lever at S and to the padlock at Tis a chain secured to the eye H of the key I00 and to the reel T on the side frame of each chair. The reel is preferably a spring-reel similar to those employed for tape-lines, so as to keep the chain ordinarily rolled up when not in use.

The use and operationof my invention are as follows: The parts having been arranged substantially as indicated in the drawings, each opera-chair will be provided with a closed case E and the reel T, on which is wound the chain '1. Inside the case E is placed the opera-glass in the position shown in Fig. 3, and carrying the padlock R, indicated in Fig. 5, and the padlock stands out in a horizontal position. The doors are closed, and the bolt N engages the catch 0 and retains them locked. If, now, a person occupying the rear seat (indicated in Fig. 1) desires to use the opera-glass in front of him, he first inserts a coin of the required magnitudeas, for instance, five cents--in the coin-chute M, whence it passes through M and rests upon the lug M and against the friction-roller N. The key 11 is now taken in the hand of the occupant of the chair and inserted in the slot J of the swiveled portion J of the door-lock. This of course unwinds the chain from the reel T and brings it into the position indicated in Fig. 1. If, 110w, the key be turned over, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 4, respectively, until the slot J? is in a horizontal position, as indicated in Fig. 3, the coin will be forced over, together with the rod N and bolt N, into the position indicated in dotted lines, thus releasing the bolt from the catch 0 and permitting the doors to open by the influence, for example, of the spring hinges K K. At the same time the key H is released from the lock or swiveled portion by the operation of the doors, it passing freely through the edge of the door F. When the key is inserted in a vertical position, which position it must occupy in order to permit the extended side H to pass through the slot J its inner end engages the elbow-lever S as indicated in Fig. 5, and as the key is farther pushed in, the elbow-lever and link S are turned on their pivot, and immediately the spring S is permitted to operate to throw the parts into the position indicated in dotted lines. The padlock being a spring-padlock is thereby locked, with the link S passing through the aperture S in the key. Thus the key is secured to the lock, and can only be released by opening such lock, and as the lock is swiveled to the opera-glass and the chain is secured to the key and the side of the chair, the opera-glass, though released from the case, is chained to the chair. The coin passes on through the slot M into the locked money-drawer below. The occupant of the rear seat (illustrated in Fig. 1) is thus at liberty to use the opera-glass during the exercises, the chain T passing conveniently over or under the shoulder. \Vhen he is through, the opera-glass is left in the seat. It is then the business of the attendant to unlock the lock and permit the chains to be wound upon their reels and put the lock-link into the position shown in Fig. 5, and insert the lock and glasses into the case, so thatthey will come into the position indicated in Fig. 3, and then close the doors of such operaglass case into the position shown in Fig. 2. Then the money may be withdrawn from the money-drawer below, and the whole is ready for use at another occasion. Of course it is quite clear that substantially the same device would operate for other articles than opera-glasses.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a coin-controlled opera-glass case, a lock on the opera-glass, and a key adapted to unlock the case and to be itself locked to the opera-glass.

2. The combination of a coin -controlled opera-glass case, a lock on the opera-glass, and a key adapted to unlock the case and to be itself locked to the opera-glass, and a chain fastened to the opera-chair and the key.

3. The combination of a coin-controlled case, a removable article therein, and a key adapted to unlock the case and to be itself locked to such article.

l. The combination of a coincontrolled case, a removable article therein, and a key adapted to unlock the case and to be itself locked to such article, and a chain secured at one end and at the other fastened to the key, so that by such key the article is released from the case but secured to the chain.

5. The combination of a coin-controlled opera-glass case, a lock on the'opera-glass, and a key adapted to unlock the case and to be itself locked to the operaglass, and a chain fastened to an opera-chair and the key, said opera-glass case secured to one. chair and the chain to the next chair in the rear.

6. The combination of a case, a coin-controlled lock therefor, an article provided with a lock to be contained in such case, and a key adapted to unlock the case and to be at the same time automatically engaged by the lock on the article, so as when the case is opened to leave the key secured to the lock on the article.

7. The combination of a case having a lock, said case being provided with a slotted swiveled portion in the edge of one of its folding doors, and a key adapted to enter such slot and when turned toward the edge of such door to permit said door to open and pass from such slot.

8. The combination of an opera-glass having a spring-lock secured thereto with a case therefor, a coin-controlled lock thereon, and a key and a chain, said key adapted to unlock the case and to be itself engaged while so doing by the spring-lock on the article.

Dated this29th day of January, 1889.

, EDWARD J. COLBY. \Vitnesses:

FRANCIS W. PARKER, CELESTE P. CHAPMAN.

ICC

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